It's All Over

I took my last final yesterday at 12:00 PM and realized that I didn't study enough. Has this ever happened to you? I didn't panic but I felt so...empty. Stupid thoughts kept running through my head that had nothing to do with the exam. I had to shut them off and concentrate on the test in front of me. I could rationalize the whole episode saying that I don't need a high grade but I felt as if I was disappointing my professor. I wanted to prove to him that I am smart and this exam was not going to be the evidence for that! I went into the final with an A-/B+. I'm hoping I come out with a B. I did receive an A on my history paper and I liked that final a lot better. I did realized that all the stuff that happened to me in April really affected my concentration and it made me think of you, my dear and fellow students. How can we compartmentalize those distractions while we do schoolwork? It's something I'm going to think about for September when I'LL BE BACK!

I am a free woman now. No more required readings or papers. I can read whatever I want! I'm already missing my classes. They were wonderful and I will probably keep up with the subject areas. They made that big of an impact on me. I want to teach you how to really appreciate school and become a lifelong learner. It's something that can happen at any time of your life. It doesn't have to happen way back in elementary school.

So, is this my last post? I don't know. I may have more to say so stay tuned and keep checking.

It's Finals Time

It's been over a month since I have posted an entry. A lot has been going on. The worst thing that happened was that my father had a heart attack and my sister and I had to fly down to Florida. I missed 2 days of classes because of it. He's okay now and it was a very emotional time. Believe it or not, I brought one of the books I was required to read for my literature class. It was The Metamorphosis by Ovid. I surprised myself that I was even able to concentrate and actually read 3 chapters (they are very long!) It was a good distraction.

The week before, my friend died. She left 2 boys the same age as mine. I had to miss classes because her funeral was on that day. My professors were very understanding as they were with my father. I guess there's a lesson here. We all go through some very difficult times. When you are in school or at work, it's important to let your teachers or supervisors know. You may have to get a note from a relative for proof. Most will be very understanding and work with you to get the work done. I received extensions for my papers and it helped a lot considering that I had a very difficult time getting my head together to do the work.

Today was my first final. It was my history class and I didn't study as hard as I should have but I know I passed the exam. My next one is on Monday, the 15th. I'll begin studying for that one tomorrow. What doesn studying mean? It means reading over my notes over and over again. It means making sure all my required reading is done. I can't believe that my brief school career will be over on Monday. It was a great experience and I'm looking forward to sharing things I learned when I return to school.

So remember, your exams are next month. Start getting organized so you don't have to waste any study time doing that.

What Have I Been Up To?

Where have I been? It's been quite a while since I last posted an entry on this blog. Well, I had spring break and decided that I had nothing relevant to say while I was doing nothing. Then I got hit with a lot of work. Right now I am reading The Aeneid in my literature class. It's another epic poem that is a take off on The Iliad and The Odyssey. I never thought I would enjoy these stories but they are great. I highly recommend them and they are not difficult to read. Hmmm, maybe we could read them next year just for fun? (I can hear all of you now: Miss, if that's your idea of fun then you must be buggin'!) I was also assigned a paper, 7-10 pages. I need to use at least 3 print sources, no internet sources, and it's due on May 1st. I am doing it on Hatshepsut, the female King of Egypt. This is for my history class. I'm really not into doing it (can you relate) but I know I must and I want to finish it before the deadline. I found out that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is having an exhibit of her artifacts so next week the boys and I are going to go.

My advice to you is the same: Keep up with your work. Don't let it get away from you. Knowing that you have all your assignments done BEFORE its due is a great feeling. No anxiety, no rushing. You learn more with a better mindset. Which reminds me, I have to read another chapter in The Aeneid before tomorrow. I'm pretty much on schedule with the other course. (Just the damn paper!)

Be well. It's April. It's the "hump" of the semester. After this month, it will go very fast. Make good use of your time and do well. I'm thinking of all of you!

Spring Break is Over. Now What?

Last week was my spring break. No, I didn't go to Daytona Beach or Cancun. I stayed home. I took a break from my school work but I did know that I had to read Books 1 and 2 of The Aeneid. (another epic like The Iliad and The Odyssey). Yesterday was my first day back at school. I was sick. Did I stay home? NOOOO! I made it because I did not want to miss another class. If I was on death's door, then I would have stayed home. I had a really bad cough. I brought water and cough drops with me. I sat, took notes, and coughed. I made it through the day. Some of you like to take off if you have something wrong with you that is very minor. You have to stop doing that. If you don't have a fever and can walk, come to school. Ask your parents for some medicine for your symptoms and try to come to school. You won't be 100% but at least you won't miss work or be marked absent (remember, too many absences can lower your grade). You are getting older and you can't take a day off for every little thing when you have a job. You'll lose pay or worse, you'll be fired.

I got my midterms back. I got a 90 in my history course and a B+ in my literature course. I was pretty happy. I rewarded myself by buying yellow tulips for my house! My family was very proud of me, too. I was just assigned a 7 - 10 page research paper which is due on May 1st. I am going to get a topic and start it so I can finish it way before the deadline. I hate being a last-minute-person. I hope you are trying to manage your time better and get your assignments done in a timely fashion.

I hope you are all well.

Breathing a Sigh of Relief

I had 2 midterms yesterday, back-to-back. I forgot how stressful and tiring it is to take exams like that. I completely feel for you when you have more than one exam in a day. I was stressing out over it! I thought about how you, my students, get through it. First, if you don't study for the exam, your stress level is going to go through the roof and you'll get angry. Not only at yourself but to those around you. I've seen it. You know, when you say, "That teacher is stupid" or "Who cares?" Well, obviously you do and you are employing a defense mechanism to try to cushion the blow of NOT STUDYING. Studying really works, kids. I'm not talking 10 minutes before the exam. I'm talking about going over your notes over and over again days before the test. You should redo problems that you had for homework. Read over your homework assignments (assuming that you do them) because your teachers take the exam questions from there! Trust me! My professors told us what the exams would be on and they didn't steer the classes wrong. If you are all caught up with the homeworks and reading assignments (and whatever else you get for HW), then studying shouldn't be that difficult. Maybe the question I should pose to you is: DO YOU KNOW HOW TO STUDY? When I come back in September, I plan on working on this A LOT! Start practicing now!

The only good thing about these exams was that I found out that my memory does work. I can actually remember facts and use them on the tests! I did not have a "senior moment" when I forgot things. When I wasn't too sure about an answer, I made a note on the paper and went to the next question. Then I went back to the ones I was shaky on. I'm glad they're over. No, I'm ecstatic they're over. My college is on spring break next week. I joked around with my husband that I was going to go to Daytona or Cancun. Naaah, I'm going to be right here in good ol' New York!

Now that I have a little break, I am going to whip out those knitting needles and finish some projects. You know how knitting is my love! It keeps me sane!

I just wanted to know that I love hearing from some of you! It keeps me in touch with you, my dear students. Keep it up!

Some Interesting Comments from my Professor

On Monday, the papers I wrote for my 2 classes were returned to me. I am proud to say that I received A minus on both of them. However, my literature professor gave a brief speech before handing them out. It made me very tense and I want to share with you the gist of his talk. I believe that the students must take a college writing course in their freshment year at Purchase. My professor said that when he read the papers, he felt that the students are not understanding how to write a paper. This paper was an example of expository writing. This means that the writer is providing information for the reader and must convey it in such a way that the reader understands it. You do this when you e-mail your friends. You are giving them info and they are responding to it. The professor stressed how important it is to write correctly and that this has real world applications. In all occupations, knowing how to write is very important. If any of you are considering going to college, you must get your writing skills sharper!

My professor then offered his services to help these students. On my comment he wrote that my writing was a little bumpy and he wanted to show me how to fix it. I was going to blow him off but then decided to see him. What he meant by his comment was that I should have read my paper out loud and fix up some awkward sentences. I totally agree with him and will do that on my next assignment.

What does all of this mean for you? Well, get more serious about your writing. It is never going to go away. You must be able to convey ideas to others. Ask your teachers for specific directions as to what they want. Ask your resource room teachers for help. You can read the writing out loud to them and they can help you edit the sentences. One good idea the professor gave was that each sentence should be able to allow you to write the next sentence and you should consider writing the introduction LAST. Once you've written your paper and you know what it's all about, then you can introduce the topic because by now you have become an expert on the subject. Think about the information the reader needs to pay attention to. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Finally, I can't emphasize enough that you must read. Reading will introduce you to more complex, more mature sentence structure. You get to see the language as it should be, not what you speak to your friends.

I hope this helps you. It certainly has helped me. I was really glad I spoke to my teacher.

Be well. Be brilliant.

What Are YOU Doing On Your Vacation?

Are you enjoying your winter break? Sleeping late? Hanging out or chillin' with your peeps? Anyone out there doing their school work? I am! Yes, I'm on break also. Actually, I'm in Florida enjoying the 80 degree weather and the palm trees. While I am sitting at the pool, I am reading my assignments that are required for my classes. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that even though you're not in school, you should still work on your assignments. Yes, this is the time when you can catch up if you're behind, get ahead or just do what is required of you. If I was in class with you on Friday, you know that I would tell all of you that you should do all your homework over the weekend so you would have the week free? Did any of you do that? Do you have a load of work that you still have to get through? Today is Monday. Start doing it now, a few hours per day and you will have it done before the weekend. Trust me on this! Remember, you have to make your school work a priority. You may have to tell your parents that you have homework so that they understand that it's important, too. My older son had a project that was due the first Monday he gets back to school. I made him do it and FINISH it before we left for Florida. It took him about an hour every night for 4 nights and he did finish it. He was so excited! I was too because now he doesn't have to do it all in one day. I was a last minute person. I have learned my lesson. It doesn't work well. Learn from me!

Have a great break and finish all your work! I want you to graduate!